In search of a better quality of life, fulfilling our dreams to see the world and provide ourselves and young children with invaluable experiences, we sold our home and possessions in London to begin our journey of a lifetime.
Here we will share our tips, stories, successes and failures, not only for our families and friends, but also to assist those who may have similar adventures in mind. We hope also to inspire those who relish the idea of travelling to newer and unfamiliar pastures but do not know how and those who require some evidence it can be done.

18 June 2010

Kukljica: Sabuša Beach

SOMEONE once said to me you should never go on vacation to the same place twice.

The reason had nothing to do with how many exceptional and interesting places there are in the world to visit. It was more that your recollections, especially if already great, can get tainted and/or become more blurred.

I understand the logic. It crossed my mind before returning to Kukljica, where I had so many fabulous childhood adventures and the last time I visited I had hair on my head and none on my chest. Now the opposite is the case.

However, I know that for more than 30 years my father resisted revisiting the land of his birth, Mauritius. But when he eventually did return, he went back again and again. It can work both ways.

I’ve been in Kukljica now several days and haven’t regretted the decision for a second. It’s wonderful.

Visiting places with Zenchai and Jamie that I first and last experienced with my Croatian grandparents is an unusual feeling, almost as if I’m in some kind of time warp.

Going to Sabuša (pronounced Sa-bu-sha) beach was one of my boyhood joys from those summer days. It’s about a gentle 20-minute walk from Kukljica village centre.

Jamie and I were both glad we’d brought along Zenchai’s wooden bicycle (he calls it a motorbike and makes engine sound effects as he whizzes around) because otherwise I’m not sure he’d have made it to Sabuša without a fuss.

It’s been hot and Zenchai doesn’t always handle extreme heat well. But on his bike, he was off, using his gangly legs to get up the hills and cruising down them on the other side. At one point I lost sight of him and had to ‘leg it’, just to be sure he didn’t crash (he has a habit of cycling and looking everywhere but directly in front of him).

We all made it there safely, though, and the longish walk was worth it. We practically had the beach to ourselves.

What makes Sabuša special, though, is the sand. It’s not a sandy beach like you’d find in Greece. This is typically Croatian in so far as the places to put down your towel are all nearly concrete. But in the water, it’s mostly sand and not stone. It’s also shallow – brilliant for kids. So we had a superb time and stayed for around five hours.

Soon the clouds that hovered over us on the way there disappeared, leaving a bright blue sky and ocean to match. The mountain backdrop was idyllic. We swam and splashed and also, shortly after arriving, had a little clean-up of the beach, removing from the water any undesirable items that had been washed into the bay.

The water was, I thought, perfect, though Jamie, who has a lower threshold for coldness, might disagree.

Sabuša was more or less how I remember it, except for the new path leading to the beach, more areas to sit and the old fig tree that I used to shelter under – and eat from - had now been consumed by surrounding vegetation.

Nothing, of course, remains the same, but sweet memories can live forever.